What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Un Lun Dun

Just finished China Mieville's Un Lun Dun transport themselves to an alternate city inhabited by some very different folks - feral trash, the tailor who keeps his needles in his head and makes clothing from books, . I generally like fantasy novels, but occasionally start to feel like all of the fantasy worlds are pretty much the same - dragons, dwarfs, elves, etc. Mieville gets a lot of credit in my book for making his world, very, very different. Two girls accidentallysmombies, etc. The city itself was very well imagined as well with buildings made of discarded appliances, and a street where the buildings keep rearranging. As I was reading this, I kept thinking that, in the right hands, this would make a fantastic movie, especially an animated one. I almost hesitate to bring that thought up, after what filmmakers have done to some wonderful books lately. Stormbreaker was probably the worst (What could Anthony Horowitz possibly been thinking!), but friends and family tell me The Golden Compass was pretty awful, too.) But, boy, in the right hands this one could be really cool. Mieville also did a great job putting some different twists on the standard fantasy plot. Yes, there were prophecies about a girl who would save the city, but what if, from the very beginning, the prophecies seem to be completely wrong? Can you alter destiny? If some of the prophecies are wrong, are they all wrong? I enjoyed this one. The plot wasn't particularly heavy duty, but things moved along nicely, with some things you could try to guess ahead of time, but enough twists to hold your interest. And if you have a vivid imagination, you'll really enjoy visualizing Mieville's fantasy world. I give this one a thumbs-up. Check it out! Oh, and have a happy, healthy and productive new year!

New Fear Street Just In

We just got 2 additions to R.L. Stine's Fear Street series, Switched and Secret Admirer. Fans of Stine know what to expect, but if you need a little more detail, see New YA Books: New Fear Street .

DDR Lost and Found

A quick update to the DDR tournament. We found a very nice bracelet in the Community Room after the tournament. If it's yours, you can claim it at the Information Desk.

DDR Tournament Update

Just finished the DDR tournament. We had a low turnout, just 15 kids, probably because of the really wretched weather forecast. But, hey, that gave us time to let everyone have two shots at the first round. Josiah B was the ultimate winner with Cariana B coming in second. Pics are below. I'm still figuring out the best settings for the new camera in a dark room. Bear with me, I'll figure it out eventually.

Five Below Fundraiser Reminder

Just a quick reminder...
Our Five Below fundraiser is this Saturday and Sunday at the Camp Hill Mall store. For more details see the sidebar on the right side of this site. There is also a link for the voucher you need to turn in at the store, or if you forget to take one, ask the cashier for one while you're there. This is a great opportunity to get some cool holiday gifts, and help the library's Teen Advisory Group raise money for teen stuff at the library. So what are you waiting for? Go shop!!

What Mrs N's Been Reading - Ever After

I pulled an oldie-but-goodie off the shelf recently - Rachel Vail's Ever After. It's about a young girl, Molly, during the summer before she starts high school, in a small town on an island. It dealt with a little bit of everything - peer pressure, first periods, relationships with parents, complications with boys, bad decisions, and coming back around after making bad decisions. I think almost any middle school or early high school age girl could relate to Molly. And I liked the ending because it didn't wrap everything up in a neat little bow like a bad tv sitcom, but it showed tremendous hope. Enjoy!

What's That Fabulous Fragrance?

The library smelled quite wonderful on Sunday as 15 teens got together to make flameless scented candles, aka "smelly jellies." I love the crafts where I put a pile of stuff out and you guys get creative with it! Yours always look so much better than my samples. Sunday's craft was no exception, as seen in the pics below. And, as somewhat usual, the younger kids were more efficient and better at some things like the rub-ons, than the older kids - always fun to watch! And, of course we had some wonderful holiday music playing while we worked. All in all, a very nice Sunday afternoon!

Guitar Hero Update

Wow! We had kids coming out of the woodwork yesterday for the Guitar Hero tournament! I felt really bad that I had to start turning kids away once we had 40 signed up for the tournament, but if I hadn't, we'd probably still be in there. As is, we just finished up with about 10 minutes to spare before the library closed. Zach S. was the final winner with Cory W. coming in second. In addition to the gift certificates that they won, they also got their proverbial 15 minutes of fame courtesy of the Patriot News, which ran a real nice story in today's paper, front page below the fold. A big thank you to everyone who came out entered, and an extra thank you to Zach and Wes who did a great job cleaning up during the tournament, so we could continue to play till just about closing time. I love to see young men with brooms in their hands.

Pics are below. Pardon the quality. I'm still getting the hang of a new camera.

What Mrs N's Been Reading - Uncovering Sadie's Secrets

Just finished Uncovering Sadie's Secrets by Libby Sternberg. It's a mystery. In fact it was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best YA Mystery a few years ago. If you're looking for a heavy duty, blood and guts, type of mystery, this isn't for you. It's what I refer to as a light mystery. The narrator is a teen named Bianca who is a high school sophomore. She starts to notice some strange things about a new girl in school and sets out to figure out what is going on, and to help the other girl out if needed. What I liked about the book was that the story was believable. The situations weren't completely outlandish like you see in some teen books. It also read pretty much like a teenager talking to you. It moved quickly and had enough hints and twists to keep you trying to figure out what was going on. It's also the first in a series, so if you like this one, you might want to check out Finding the Forger as well. Enjoy!

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - How to Survive a Robot Uprising

I just finished Daniel Wilson's How to Survive a Robot Uprising. It was pretty cool, especially for anyone who's into robotics, or for sci fi fans. At the time that the book was published, Wilson was working on his Ph.D in robotics at Carnegie Mellon, so he really knows his stuff. The book is short to begin with, and has a lot of illustrations. It reads even quicker though, because the chapters are only 2 or 3 pages long. It's organized so that there is a chapter that's just factual information on either a type of robot, or a specific aspect of robotics. Those chapters are really great, because the author knows where all of the cutting edge research is being done, and includes information on what the newest advances are in that area - great info if you're thinking about going into robotics. To keep the book from getting dry, the next chapter is then a little tongue-in-cheek as he explains what your best plan of action would be if attacked by that type of robot. It might sound sort of stupid, but it is a really good way to teach the basics of that type of robotics because it's real-life application, sort of. All in all, a quick fun read.

Latest Truth or Dare Now In

Just got the latest in Cathy Hopkins' Truth or Dare series. This one is All Mates Together. Surprisingly there were no holds on it, so if you're a fan of the series, you can get this one now. For a little more detail see New YA Books: All Mates Together
Enjoy!

New Horowitz, Zevin and More

A few new books have trickled in, including the latest in the Alex Rider series, Snakehead, a new one by Gabrielle Zevin who wrote the excellent Elsewhere, and a teen spy book, this one with a female protagonist. See New YA Books: New Horowitz, Zevin and More for more info. Enjoy!

New "and" Magazine is Here

Good news for those of you who like "and" the local teen literary magazine. We just got a pile of the newest edition. They're down on the display unit near the teen area. Help yourself to a copy. If you haven't looked at an "and" definitely stop and pick one up. I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but they are always excellent. Enjoy!

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Tamar

I just finished reading Mal Peet's, Tamar. It's another one of those books told from alternating points of view. Part of it is the story of Dutch resistance fighters during the last part of World War II. This was the part of the book that I liked best. It gave you a look at what day-to-day life was really like for those folks who were essentially spies and/or terrorists, in Holland during the war. It was not nearly as glamorous and exciting as a lot of movies make it seem. Frequently it was long periods of incredible boredom, punctuated by moments of sheer terror, with a steady dose of deprivation and near starvation throughout. The other part of the book followed a young girl named Tamar, in 1995, as she sets out to follow what appears to be encoded instructions, left to her by her grandfather after his suicide, which may explain the parts of his life that no one in the family ever talked about. The two stories come together in the end. I basically had the ending figured out pretty early on, but kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened in greater detail, and because it was a very well written, engaging novel. The subtitle for the book is, A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal. That pretty much sums it up. Again, it's an engaging book that gives you a different look at World War II, and makes you think about things like loyalty and survival. I'd recommend it.

MS Video Game Tournament Update

Just finished the last video game tournament of the calendar year. We'll resume again in February, once the holiday shopping and return rushes are over, and the EBGames guys/gals can get away from the store to come over here. In the meantime, check the upcoming programs list to the right for Guitar Hero and DDR tournament dates. Anyway, we had a nice crowd of about 40 with 33 entering the tournament. Bragging rights go to "The Curt" and Tim L. Pics below.

What Mrs N's Been Reading - The Road of the Dead

I just finished Kevin Brooks' The Road of the Dead. I've read other Brooks novels and liked them very much. (See What Mrs N's Been Reading - Being for my review of Being. I also liked Martyn Pig a lot, but read that one pre-blog.) Brooks is interesting. His characters are definitely very flawed people, and not always what you would ordinarily call good guys, but I find myself rooting for them as I read, and really caring what happens to them. In this one, Ruben and his brother Cole go to the remote village where their sister Rachel was brutally murdered, to try to find out what happened so that her body can be released for burial. Ruben is a sensitive guy who can sense other people's feelings, especially family members. On the night Rachel was murdered, Ruben was "with her," feeling her panic and fear and seeing the area around her, but not the murderer. Cole is more like his father, who is in prison for killing a man in a bare knuckle fight. In the village, there is definitely something going on that involves almost everyone there, and everyone knows more than they are letting on about the murder, but can Cole and Ruben get answers without getting killed? There is a lot of violence in the book, and little bit of salty language, but all things considered, it's handled very well, and isn't unnecessarily graphic. I'd recommend this one to high school students, and will probably come back and read a few more of the Brooks' titles that are on the shelf.

Video Game Tournament Results

We just wrapped up another VGT, this one for 9th-12th grades. Turnout was a little lower than usual, probably due to the timing. (No one told me when I set the date that this was Guitar Hero III day!) But, hey, a lighter turnout means the tournament can be double elimination. In the end, Max H won bragging rights and his choice of items from the EBGames freebie pile. Josh H (who apparently came back from the dead, tournament-wise) pulled in second place. The next HS VGT will be after the holidays. Watch this space for details. In the meantime, though, we'll have a Guitar Hero and a DDR tournament here at the Fredricksen Library in December. See the program schedule on the right for dates and times.

Despite the camera battery going dead early on, I managed to get a few decent pics. Here they are:

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - The Long Night of Leo and Bree

I just finished Ellen Wittlinger's The Long Night of Leo and Bree. It's a quick read, only about 110 pages, but there's a lot packed in there. The basic storyline is that Leo's sister was brutally murdered by a boyfriend 4 years earlier. After her death, his father withdrew and eventually just took off, and his mother basically just lost it. On the anniversary of her death, Leo is laying a heavy guilt trip on himself for not stopping his sister from seeing the guy the night she was murdered. He decides that it shouldn't have been his sister who was killed. It should have been someone "who deserved it" and he is going to find someone like that and kill her in his sister's place. In a classic, "wrong place at the wrong time" scenario, he randomly kidnaps Bree and holds her hostage while he decides what to do. As the night goes on, both Leo and Bree start to see things in both themselves and each other. This would be a good one for an older reluctant reader because it is short, but has plenty of action and suspense, and a more mature subject than most shorter books. The subject matter is handled well, all things considered, getting the point across without being unnecessarily graphic. For the right audience, it's a pretty good read. Enjoy!

Guitar Hero Tournament Pics

A great big "Thank You!!" goes out to Wes' dad for getting some pics from Sunday's Guitar Hero tournament to me. For those of you who have been waiting for them, here they are. And congratulations again to Devon and Danielle, our first and second place winners.

Guitar Hero Tournament Results

We had another great Guitar Hero tournament this past Sunday. 22 people participated in the tournament, with several more on hand in the cheering section. Ultimately, Devon H was the big winner with Danielle D pulling in second. Ordinarily I try to remain neutral on these things, but when a girl made it to the final round in Guitar Hero, I admit I was pulling for her. I wish I had photos to post, but someone had taken the library camera. Wes' dad took some photos and said he'd e-mail some to me, but I haven't seen them yet. If he comes through, I'll post 'em here when I get 'em.

Video Game Tournament Update

Sunday's video game tournament, this one for middle schoolers, was another success. 26 kids entered the tournament, with an additional handful on hand to watch, and cheer. Bragging rights go to Dillon F. this time, with Alex and Curt coming in just behind. As usual pics are below. See the program list to the right for the next tournaments.

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - How the Hangman Lost His Heart

I often wished that my family tree was a bit more colorful. My relatives are nice folks, but basically boring. As a teenager, I had a backpacking buddy whose great-grandfather was a trapeze artist in the Viennese circus. I always kind of envied her. I was thinking about her as I was reading K.M. Grant's How the Hangman Lost His Heart. If you are offended by gallows humor, I'd suggest you steer clear of this one. If, on the other hand, you are, like me, a big fan of Far Side style humor, you'll love this one. It was inspired by the author's actual family history. An ancestor of hers had the distinction of being the last person in Britain to be executed by being hung, drawn and quartered. Unfortunately, his head was stolen. It was eventually returned to the family, but for many years, they could not get permission to open his tomb to put his head back with his body, so it was passed around in a hatbox, until after WWII. The book begins at Uncle Frank's execution. After the execution, his head is mounted on a pike on Temple Bar. His niece, Alice, decides that she is going to get Uncle Frank's head back, no matter what it takes, and ends up getting help from the executioner, of all people. I really enjoyed this one. The rest of the book follows Alice and Dan, the executioner, as they try to stay clear of the authorities while they get, lose, regain, relose, etc., the head. It's a nice light read, with a plenty of twisted humor, that gives you a different take on an historic period. Check it out!

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Stardust

Ok, for the first time in quite a while, I ventured out of the Teen realm for my reading material and picked up Neil Gaiman's Stardust. The reason for this venturing was that I was considering doing a book vs. movie discussion on this one for next summer's Teen Summer Reading Program. I'm probably going to hear from irate Gaiman fans, but I just couldn't really get into this one. In fact, it was the first book in quite a while that I seriously considered bailing out on under the philosophy - "Why waste time on a bad book when there are so many good ones." After about 2 weeks , when I was only half way through (and it's a fairly short book), I tried to figure out why it was taking me so darn long. After a little thought I decided that basically, I really didn't care about any of the characters. Stardust is considered somewhat of a classic in some circles, but I found the story to be not terribly original, and all of the characters to be the kind of whiny people that I don't want to be around in real life either. I may still show the movie next summer. I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not sure. The book has one stupid passage that makes it inappropriate for middle-schoolers, therefore ruining it as a book discussion book. What's really annoying about that, is that the passage really wasn't necessary. Yes, you need to know Tristran's parentage to understand some other things, but you don't need all of the intimate details. Sorry Gaiman fans, but I can't recommend this one. On to another Teen book.

High School VGT - Great Start to the School Year!

What better way to start off the school year than with a video game tournament! If you missed yesterday's, it was another great one. Competition was stiff and the spectators were incredibly loud! 23 teens entered the tournament, with 5 or so more spectating and playing either board games or Nerf ping pong. The 3 guys left standing at the end - Josh, Darrin, and Ben (who claims to, and I quote, "really suck at this game") - walked away with bragging rights and a video game inspired print, and everyone got a gaming magazines and demos. Thanks, as always, to the guys from EBGames (especially Brandon), and to the Friends of the Fredricksen, who provide refreshments. If you missed it, some pics are below. See the events list to the right for dates for upcoming tournaments.

New Westerfeld, Hale, and Grant

A trio of, what looks to be really good, books just hit my desk. They include the latest from Scott Westerfeld, Shannon Hale, and K.M. Grant. for more details see New YA Books: New Westerfeld, Grant, and Hale .

Enjoy!

New Teen Book - After the Wreck...

Mixed in with those video games was a new Teen book, Joyce Carol Oates', After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away. For a little more detail see New YA Books: After the Wreck...

Video Games are In!

Good news! The video games for the new circulating collection are coming in quicker than expected. A pile hit my desk this morning. Several were already on hold, but I just put about a dozen on the shelf. Get 'em while they're in!

These games are being provided courtesy of the fundraising efforts of the library's Teen Advisory Group. If you have games lying around that you're no longer playing, we're happy to take donations to add to the collection. Just about any console system, and games rated T or friendlier, please. Just drop them at the Information Desk for me.

Also, remember we have video game tournaments coming up soon. High school is this Sunday, September 30 @ 2:00, and next Sunday, October 7, is for grades 6-8. See you then!

New Samantha McGregor, The Door Within, and More

A handful of new Teen books just came in, including an addition to the Samantha McGregor series, and The Door Within series, as well as a few standalone books. For more details see New YA Books: Installments of Samantha McGregor, The Door Within, and More .

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - A Crack in the Line

Just finished Michael Lawrence's A Crack in the Line. If you like getting into those strange philosophical discussions about alternate universes, or enjoy those Star Trek episodes with duplicate realities, you'll like this one. It's the first in the Withern Rise Trilogy. Alaric, a teenage boy who's mother was killed a few years earlier in a tragic accident, finds himself suddenly transported to what turns out to be an alternate reality. It's essentially the same as his world, except that there is a girl, Naia, in his place, and her mother was in the same accident as his, but survived. The two of them try to figure out what exactly is happening, why, how to get back from the other reality, etc. You get glimpses of what is to come in the rest of the trilogy. How many realities are there? What causes the alternate realities? Are there other ways to transport between them? What if you get stuck in the wrong one? A good read. Check it out!

Now In - Eclipse and Knife Edge

I finally have a little time to get back to posting new teen books on the other blog. Just in time, too, because 2 sequels that look really good just came in, Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer and Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman. For a little more detail see New YA Books: Eclipse and Knife Edge .

DDR Update

Just wrapped up the first DDR Tournament of the school year. 25 brave souls participated, along with a half dozen or so additional chicken-hearted teens who chose to just watch and cheer. Competition was stiffer than usual this time. Ultimately, Jacob H. earned bragging rights by winning this one, edging out Nathaniel H. who was a pretty close second. If you missed it check out the pics below.

DDR Tournament

In case you missed all of the other publicity, our first DDR tournament of the school year will be this Sunday, September 9 @ 2:00. No need to preregister, just come on in at 2:00. Previous tournaments have been a lot of fun, with some really, really good competition! Even if you think you're not so good, come on in and give it a go, or just watch and cheer. Thanks to the Friends of Fredricksen, snacks and drinks will be provided, and board games will also be available.
See you Sunday!

What Mrs. N's Been Reading - Thieves Like Us

Just finished Stephen Cole's Thieves Like Us. If you liked the Cherub series you'll probably like this one. Rather than the teens being part of a covert government agency as in the Cherub series, this one has one man, Nathanial Coldhardt, organizing a group of teens to to be international thieves for profit. The teens are all kids with either no family, or at least no family that would miss them. Each has specific skills to add to the group - a pilot, a computer encryption expert, a human lie detector, etc. Personally, I liked The Recruit from the Cherub series a little bit more than this one, but if you've run that series, the Spy High series, etc., and are looking for something else like those, this one's not bad. It has plenty of action, some reminiscent of Indiana Jones, as well as some good plot twists. Enjoy!